Electric signaling system.



No. 777,555. PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.

- H. W. SOUDER.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2a. 1903.

Nb MODEL. 2 SHEETS-*SHEBT 1.

3 Bi) M. PH O u 3 i W g WITNESSES: l NVENTUR -\N\NV\N\- fl 2) #pwdflM/MM/ ow/vflam ATTORNEY No. 777,555. PATENTED. DEC. 13, 1904. H. W.SOUDEB.

BLEGTRIG SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1903.

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR WM! W W v ATTORNEY HOW ELL W. SOUDER, OF TAMAQUA,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ON E- Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HALF TO W. D. ZEI-INER, OF IJANSFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC $IGNAL|NG SiYSTEIVI SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent N0. 777,555, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed July 28, 1903. Serial No. 167,817. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWELL W. Soup'an, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Tamaqua, county of Schuylkill, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to electric IO signaling systems; andmore specifically it consists of certain improvements on the system forblock-signaling for electrictrolleyroads described in my pendingapplication, Serial No. 128,280, filed October 22, 1902.

In the system generally described in my said prior application I havediscovered that a certain specific relation between the signal-lamps andthe resistances in shunt therewith as to their electrical resistance andof the total re sistance of the lamps in circuit to the difference ofpotential between the terminals of the supply circuit produces the bestresults. Broadly stated, the proportions which give the best results Ifind to be a ratio of about 5 one to four between the resistance of eachparticular lamp and the dead resistance which is in shunt therewith anda potential in the suppl y-eircuit for any set of lamps which exceedsthe total Voltage of the lamps in series by an 3 amount approximatelyequal to the voltage of one of said lamps.

The preferred form of my apparatus is illustrated in the accompanyingtwo sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general diagrammatic viewof the lamps and connections for one block of the signaling system. Fig.2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the lamps andsupportingbracket therefor. Fig. 3 is a central section 4 on a plane atright angles to the plane of Fig. 2, showing the lamp, the resistance,the spool, and the combination casing for the two.

Throughout the drawings like referencefigures indicate like parts.

1 represents the trolley-wire; 2, the feedwire; 3, the signal-wireextending along the block. 4t 4 are the circuit-controlling devices, and5 5 the contact'making devices which cooperate with the trolleyavlieel.The said parts being the same as those fully described in my aforesaidpending application, no further description is believed to be necessary.

As shown in Fig. 1, I have arranged eight lamps 6 6, &c., along thesignal-wire in series, and each is provided with a resistance 7 7,permanentlyconnected in shuntwith its companion lamp. I have alsoprovided at the end of each block in the ground connection a lampwithout a resistance, that marked 8 being at the right-hand end of theblock and that marked 9 at the left-hand end. The lamps 6 may be given adistinctive color, as green, and the lamps 8 and 9 adifl'erent color, asred, all as described and operating in the manner set forth in mybefore-mentioned prior application. It will be seen that of these tenlamps nine are thrown into connection with the supply-circuit whenever acar enters a block at either end, and in the system represented thepotential of the supply-circuit is assumed to be live hundred and fiftyvolts, and each of the lamps in such case will be of fiftylive volts orfifty-live ohms resistance. Each of the resistances 7 7 would then be sodesigned as to produce a dead resistance of two hundred and twenty ohms.The result produced by this n'oportioning of parts is that the leakageof current through the resistances 7 7 during the normal operation oi.the lamps is just about the amount which would be consumedv by an otherlamp if ten fifty-five-volt lamps were connected in series without anyresistance that is to say, the difference of potential in that part ofthe circuit between the feed-wire connection at the left hand and thelamp 8, for instance, being four hundred and ninetylive volts and thetotal of the eight lamps marked 6 being four hundred and forty volts theleakage through the resistances 7 7 will just about consume the missingfifty-five volts and all the lamps be kept at their normal brilliancyduring the normal operationof the system. The same is true when therighthand connection with the feed-wire is thrown into action. If one ofthe lamps 6 breaks, its companion resistance 7 will still permitsufficient current to pass through it to operate the remaining lamps ata reasonable degree of incandescence, so that the efliciency of thesystem is not impaired, although there is a sufficient decrease in thebrilliancy of the remaining lamps to indicate that one of the lamps isbroken and to call the attention of the repairman to the fact.

If the resistances 7 are reduced much below the proportion mentioned, somuch current leaks through them that the brilliancy of the signal-lampsis considerably reduced and there is a Waste of current. If, on theother hand, the resistances are increased much above the proportionmentioned, the breakage of one lamp will cut down the current-supply tothe others so markedly that the efliciency of the system is materiallyaffected. I have found after a large number of experiments that theproportion of one to four between the resistance of the lamp and thedead resistance and the omission of one lamp, so that the total voltageof the series is less than the potential of the supply-circuit by anamount equal to the voltage of one lamp, gives the best results.

The particular arrangement of lamp and resistance and easing therefor isfully shown in Fig. 3. The lamp 6 is preferably mounted in a waterproofsocket 10, which is supported by the lead-wires 11 12. These passthrough perforations in the end pieces 13 and 14: of theresistance-spool 15. The spool is made of some insulating material, asporcelain, and the end pieces of some insulating material, as hardfiber, and the parts are held together by the central longitudinal bolt16. Upon this spool is wound the resistance-coil 7, of fine wire, ofGerman silver or other material, the extremities being held by clamps 17and 18 at either end of the spool. As shown, these clamps consist ofmetal bands encircling the spool and having their ends held together bysmall screws. The lead-wires 11 and 12 are led between the opposingfaces of these clamps, as are also the ends of the resistancecoil 7, sothat the effect is to bridge the coil across the terminals of the lamp6. The lamp is thus suspended from the resistancespool, the latterfitting up into the longitudinal extension 20 of the taperinglap-reflector 19 and held in this position by any suitable retainingmeans, such as the springclips 21 21, which are mounted on the exteriorof the extension 20 and have their inwardly-bent lower ends projectingthrough openings in said extension and under the lower spool end piece14:. The upper end of the extension 20 is closed by a plug 22, having acentral threaded opening 23, out through which the lead-wires pass. Thesupporting gas pipe bracket 27 is screwed into this threaded opening andthe lead-wires pass out through this gas-pipe. The gas-pipe bracket maybe of course fastened to any suitable post 28. The upper end of thecylindrical extension 20 is provided with certain circumferentialopenings 24: 24 for purposes of ventilation, and these are protectedfrom the rain, &c., by a flaring cap 25. The parts 19, 20, 25, and 22are preferably soldered together, although they may be fastened in anyconvenient manner. As shown, the lampreflector 19 has longitudinalextensions 26 26, in which are mounted colored-glass plates 29 29 forsignaling purposes.

The method of operation of my invention is evident from the foregoing.When a car enters one end of the block, the lamps 6 will all be causedto glow,throwing a white light downward for the purpose of illuminatingthe track and a colored light horizontally for signaling purposes. Thecolored lamp 8 or 9 without a resistance located at the far end of theblock will also be caused to glow.

In repairing or replacing the resistances the spool may be drawn downout of its casing by springing back the clips 21 21, when the clamps 17and 18 can begotten at and, if necessary, the spool taken apart and anew coil slipped on.

It is evident, of course, that various changes could be made in thedetails of the arrangement of the construction shown without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention. A different number ofsignal-lamps might be used so long as their total voltage was properlyarranged with reference to the potential of the supply-circuit andapparatus might be employed having certain of the features of noveltyabove described withoutnecessarily embodying others of such features.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electrical signaling system, the combination of a plurality ofelectric lamps connected in series, a like number of resistances ofconsiderably higher resistance than the lamp, each lamp having aresistance permanently connected in shunt around it, and acurrent-supply circuit for said lamps, the potential of which exceedsthe total voltage of the lamps in series by an amount approximatelyequal to the voltage of one of said lamps.

2. In an electrical signaling system,the combination of a plurality ofelectric lamps connected in series, a like number of resistancespermanently connected one in shunt about each lamp, each resistancebeing of approximately four times the resistance of its companion lamp,and a current-supply circuit for said lamps, the potential of whichexceeds the total Voltage of the lamps in series by an mately four timesthe resistance of its c0mamount approximately equal to the voltage ofpanion lamp.

one of said lamps.

3. in an electrical signaling system,the combination of a plurality ofelectric lamps connected in series, a like number of resistancespermanently connected one in shunt about each lamp, each resistancebeing of approxi- Signed at Lansforcl this 21st day of July, 1903. I

HOWELL W. SOUDER. Witnesses:

' G A. FRITZ,

H. B. EDGAR.

